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The critics were in agreement about the high caliber and artistic significance of the choreographers for this first premiere evening of the "Very British!?" season. "On the one hand, the pompous, Edwardian elegance of Ashton who peppers his airy choreography with irony and dry humor, on the other, the proletarian, earthy and sometimes depressing and full of drama-ridden furiousness of MacMillan - Two key figures in choreography of the 20th century Great Britain. They embody distinct opposites who attract and continue the legacy of Ninette Valois at the strictly classical, Russian oriented Royal Ballet and Marie Rambert, an early catalyst of modern currents." (Die Welt)

Naturally, the emotional and intellectual resonance to the evening’s mixed bill was diverse. While some perceived the brilliant play on form of Scènes de Ballet as lacking in emotional content, others complained that Song of the Earth's, focusing on the vast depth of the human soul, to drown in an abundance of such. Not it any way does this belittle the entertainment value of this evening full of musical and choreographic highlights. Interspersed between these two major works of English repertory, are two Ashton miniatures: His waltzing reminiscence of Anna Pavlova and her modern counterpart, Isadora Duncan is performed barefoot with an eclectic range of emotions: raging passion, power, blissfulness and glimpses of revolution peeking through. Voices of Spring pas de deux, another miniature from the mastermind of Frederick Ashton, stays true to the spirit of the music: overflowing with joy and a celebratory gala mood. – that´s all.

Biographies

Katherina Markowskaja was born in Kiev, Ukraine where she completed her training at the National Ballet Academy of Arts. As a student, she was cast in performances of the National Ballet of Kiev. At the age of sixteen, she accepted a scholarship of the Heinz-Bosl-Foundation, offered to her by Konstanze Vernon. Ms. Markowskaja graduated from the Ballet-Academy Munich and subsequently joined the Saxon State Opera Ballet Dresden under artistic director Vladimir Derevianko. She was promoted to the rank of First Soloist two years later. In 1999, she received the Mary Wigman Award. From 2010, she worked as a freelance ballerina and trained with the Bavarian State Ballet, being engaged as a First Soloist until the 2015/2016 season. For the 2016/2017 season she returned as a guest artist to Munich.

Bayerische Staatsoper

Die Bayerische Staatsoper

Tradition, continuity and an impressive repertoire: these are the solid pillars supporting the Bayerische Staatsoper – one of the world’s leading opera houses. It can look back proudly on a cultural history of over 350 years. Thanks to a court tradition, opera found a home in Munich in 1653; since then its music-historical and sociopolitical development has continued in a way unparalleled anywhere else, worldwide.The Bayerische Staatsoper, with some 600,000 persons attending its over 450 performances each year, makes a major contribution to Munich’s reputation as one of the great international cultural capitals.

In the course of a single season, over 40 operas from four centuries are performed along with ballets, concerts and song recitals. This makes the programme of the Bayerische Staatsoper one of the most richly varied performance schedules of all the international opera houses. With 2,101 seats, the Bayerische Staatsoper’s principal performance venue, the National Theatre – built in classicistic style in 1818 – is the largest opera house in Germany and ranks as one of the handsomest theatres in Europe. Tours of the National Theatre take place almost every day.